24 seniors named National Merit semifinalists
Posted September 12
Saint Francis High School is immensely proud of its 24 accomplished seniors who were named National Merit semifinalists. According to the 2013 National Merit Scholarship Program Semifinalist report, this number is the most from any Catholic high school in California this year.
“These scholars are enthusiastic about learning, and we are proud of what they have accomplished,” Principal Patricia Tennant. “Not only do they excel academically, but they are true Holy Cross Men and Women who exemplify our balanced school mission. They are involved in the arts, athletics, clubs and activities as well as campus ministry and service, and serve on leadership boards for school programs.”
The students note that this accolade is not just a reflection of their work but a statement about their environment. Timothy Chang says this is an honor he shares with a talented group of classmates, while Uma Kolluri says her selection is a tribute to her teachers.
“Being named a National Merit Semifinalist is more a reflection of all the hard work my teachers have put into their work since freshman year than anything I've done individually,” she says. “I wouldn't be where I am today if they hadn't been so dedicated to helping all of us become better thinkers and leaders.”
The seniors who have been selected as National Merit semifinalists qualified based on their performances on the PSAT that they took as juniors. They are now eligible for 8,300 scholarships worth more than $32 million.
2013 National Merit semifinalists
Danielle Alvarez
Ninad Bhat
Katherine Blandino
Timothy Chang
Chandler Golan
Aakash Gupta
Paul Kim
Uma Kolluri
Avinaash Korrapati
Susan Lang
Albert Lin
Carolyn McGuire
Eela Nagaraj
Tanay Nandgaonkar
Catinca Negru
Alysia Nguyen
Abhijit Krishna Puranam
Samira Samant
Tiffany Shieh
Vivek Sridhar
Sophia Valenzuela
Christine Wang
Jonathan Wang
Joyce Zhou
